Takke a look at the two images above. One is from the Tribune Publishing Company and one from Gannett Publishing Company. Ok, you're right. The Chicago Tribune is from Tribune (obviously) and USA TODAY is from Gannett. I should have used the screenshot I used in my previous post of the Los Angeles Times' homepage, another Tribune paper.

These two publishing companies are arguably among the largest newspaper publishing companies in the U.S. and their websites are similar—big feature images, a simple navigation bar and clear brand placement at the top of the page. I like both styles because they have a clear hierarchy of content, easy navigation and large images. However, when Tribune rolled out its new digital format last year, the company was looking out for its mobile customers.

"The website is geared toward mobile users, an increasingly important platform with the proliferation of smart phones and tablets. Features include responsive design that adapts automatically to any size screen; endless scrolling, which enables readers to browse the site without dead ends; more multimedia stories; and easier ways to share stories through social media," according to Tony Hunter, CEO of Chicago Tribune Media Group.

Personally, I like that the content bar is on the left. I like that as you scroll you see large images and options for multimedia. I like that on every page, there is a chance to post the site's content onto your own social media site. I also like that the company is mobile first. They realize that mobile is the future and are setting their site up for that. However, I hate, absolutely despise, that there is no end to the page when I am scrolling on my computer screen. I keep scrolling down and just arrive at newly loaded pages of different sections of the site. For example, I scroll down enough and the sports page loads on the homepage. I don't like that on my computer. For my phone, it's brilliant.

Unlike Tribune, Gannett, designs their sites with a navigation bar up top, and the publication's name in the upper left-hand corner. They have a handy quick links bar to the left as well. They also have a large featured story with featured image and a scrolling list of other featured stories from the sites different sections. They have the latest updates block to the right of the large featured stories. Below the large featured stories are interesting headlines, wach accompanied by an image to form story blocks. The design makes sense and is pleasing to the eye. As a user, I can successfully navigate the site.

The aspect I don't like about Gannett's sites is that they all

look

the

same (even in Cleveland).

I understand they want to keep a consistent brand, but I think some sites are not fit for it—for example, the difference of content organization of broadcast and print sites. However, the sites does do a good job of bringing multimedia together, a concept many sites are having a hard time doing.

Another interesting part of its navigation is that when a page is opened, it pops out into a page within the page the visitor was on.

For example....

The black box behind this story is the homepage. This story is one of the headlines in the latest updates tab. Another cool thing about the navigation of this site is that users can scroll between stories in specific sections with the arrows to the right and left. As a user, I prefer to be taken to another page for actual stories and sections of a news site. I feel like its a cleaner look. Gannett, though, sets a hard news tone with its sites. They want to be "in your face" about news instead of offering a pleasurable reading experience with beautiful white space and occasional images to break up block of text (we saw that with The New York Times, a Tribune site)

Maybe the golden mean solution would be to have a Gannett homepage and Tribune layout for each individual story. Who wants to design me that for my website?

Upon visiting a well-designed site, I leave feeling satisfied. I've accomplished my task, and if the site is designed correctly, I've done it in the least amount of time necessary. A burden has been lifted from my shoulders, all thanks to this inanimate, end-all, be-all called the Internet. But why?

I've decided to explore studies about web design and see why certain things work and why others don't. The studies I've found examine how users think, what they want and what works. I truly believe that with any aspect of design, if you can view it as how well it would serve the end-user, you will get good results in your final product.

First, I'd like to explore how the text is laid out.

It should be displayed like the image below, according to a study called Eyetrack III, a study that explores what websites look like through reader's eyes.

This image is a screenshot from Vox Media from Friday, February 13. According to the Eyetrack study, headlines are more important the image displayed on a site. Here , you see a text covering a photo of Chelsea Manning, the woman for which the U.S. military just approved hormone therapy. The reader knows that Vox wants to make this the most important or most read story in its World and Defense section because it dedicated a photo, larger type and place on its front page to it.

The other headlines on this block of stories follow the Eyetrack study's suggestions for successful headlines and blurbs. The study found that readers skim, which we all know as web readers. However, the study says that readers skim or read only the first couple of words in a blurb or headline. The study then encourages to use SEO-friendly words at the beginning and action verbs to engage readers.

This Vox headline block does just that. The headline under the Chelsea Manninf report starts with an action verb: listen. Another hot word in the headline is Chapel Hill, which was in the news on Friday. The second headline uses the words "glaring contradiction" and "Obama," which makes readers want to read where their beloved POTUS has gone wrong. The structure of the last headline is my favorite. It starts with "Chapel Hill shooting" , the subject of discussion. If I am a reader who wants to know about this, the first three words pull me in. The words that follow "uncomfortable conversation" and "Reddit" also attract readers. If I am a Reddit user, I want to know what uncomfortable conversation I should be aware of in relation to other Reddit users, atheist or not.

Another finding of the Eyetrack study dealt with image size. Of course, bigger images attract more eyes than small ones. It also found that people tend to click on images more on a homepage, many of which to not have embedded links which will not take them to a new site.

This is the introduction page to my dad's synagogue, Temple Israel in Akron. The featured image is one of the remodeled synagogue from one year ago. The one to the left of the children blowing the shofar (ram's horm) for Rosh Hashannah (the Jewish new year), flashes on the site and does not link to anything. I was involved in a focus group for the usability of this website, and it is very hard to navigate. Many photos on the site don't take people to where they want to go. The majority of the site's text is aligned to the center, which is not a natural movement for an English-speakers eyes who are accustomed to reading left to right. The Eyetrack study suggests type be aligned to the left because that is where people naturally begin reading headlines, blurbs and articles.

The last aspect of web design I want to review from the Eyetrack study is how to get readers past the first page of a site's homepage. When I say first page, I mean the initial opening of a page. The screenshots I have used in previous posts are first page shots—what the reader or visitor sees when they first open a certain site.

According to the study, a shocking or surprising image or trendy headline should appear at the bottom of the first screen for visitors to read on to content further down the page.

The LA Times uses a different layout on its homepage than most news sites. However, the bottom of its first page of its homepage works. Before scrolling down further, readers get a peek of the headlines "Parents of missing journalist Austin" and "With port talks gridlocked, White...." The second headline readers can expect has something to do with the White House. Readers who are politically passionate or keep tabs on U.S. government happenings will be drawn in by the verb "gridlocked." Anyone with a soul will be drawn into the headline "Parents of missing journalist" because it is a heart-grabbing perspective of the danger for journalists in the Middle East.

The LA Times site also uses a left side navigation bar, which I have called content bar in my previous posts. As a journalist, the layout of the LA Times website is interesting navigation-wise. The newspaper is owned by Gannet publishing company, which has a different approach to providing for its digital readers. Read my next post where I will explore Gannet's news websites and design elements as well as explore their reasoning for designing their sites the way they do.

As I browsed through the 2014 Webby Award winners, I knew there were more sites I needed to talk about and analyze. The web design was just to good to not show my readers more! Since this blog is about news design, I'm going to highlight mainly how news organizations have displayed effective designs online, but I do encourage everyone to check out the winners for themselves.

First, let's examine the Best Web Writing category. The New Yorker, known for its text heavy print pages, is one of the winners. Ironically, the site's homepage utilizes white space for its sleek, simple and beautiful design. The stories are written in the same long format, which means that the site is reader specific. It attracts people who want to read commentary, narratives and investigative pieces. After clicking on stories, however, I realized that despite the story length, the crisp design helps readers get through the blocks of text. The New Yorker has thought about what its web readers are willing to read, and I think the serif text spaced out effectively and in blocks that don't take up the entire length of the screen are effective. The white space around it helps readers clear their mind and focus on the story that they came to the site to read.

Another great example I wanted to highlight is The Atlantic magazine. The front page, like The New Yorker's site, doesn't try too hard. It simply lays the information out in a thoughtful, approachable way. The featured image when a user first visits the site is of a scrolling story gallery with photos and text. It gets four stories across to the reader simply through a headline, deck (small description of the story below the headline) and an image. The stories underneath it are designed in blocks and follow the "bite, snack, meal" method Janice Redish suggests. in her book, "Letting Go of the Words."

In contrast with the New Yorker, The Atlantic's story pages are significantly shorter. They reflect that the magazine has adapted its content for web, adding a related video section to the piece. What I liked about The Atlantic is that many of their headlines are conversational. They ask questions like "Why Don't Kids Walk to School Anymore?" and "What's in Those Haribo Gummy Bears?" Like The New Yorker, the site uses a serif font in the text of its stories.

Welcome to NYTimes.com, the best news website online. You know this. I know this and so do the Webby people, those who I believe are in charge of giving the Webby Awards. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences hands these awards out to those it deems "excellent" on the Internet in the categories of websites, interactive advertising and online video and film. The New York Times website, along with the magazine Variety, Rolling Stone's animal rights piece "In the Belly of the Beast," The NSA Files and technology magazine Wired.com.

According to the Webby Awards website, news sites should meet the criteria of being "developed for the distribution of recent happenings. These may be offshoots of established broadcast or other existing news operations, or developed specifically for online news." I agree that the NYT site clearly shows the nation's recent happenings. It very much mimics the layout of the printed newspaper with story blocks and powerful visuals. The NYT site is smart because it goes with a news format readers are familiar with. I've already analyzed the NTY site, so you can go back and read my thoughts about it. I'll revert my attention to the other sites in the People's Choice category for last year's award winners.

Let's talk about Variety.com. Like most magazine layouts, it's got lovely, beautiful white space, large pictures and classy fonts. It doesn't try like a news organization to be in your face with links to maybe 12 different stories before you can scroll down. It's approachable. Still newsy entertainment with the latest headlines large and in charge at the top with photos that tell the story as well.

The layout is so simple, yet effective. The title and brand of the site is firmly established above the fold. A stylistic element I like is the content bar with "Film+" among other titles. The "+" sign adds a certain style that is a Variety original.

The magazine focuses on entertainment news, and every element that could fall under that category is in the content bar. It's social media icons are high up, which is something that though this blog I have decided I prefer in website design. I think one of the most interesting aspects about this site is the "Most Recent News" divider at the bottom of the screenshot to the right. No matter what platform a visitor views this on, that person will want to scroll down and read more since its opening page is so welcoming and uncluttered.

From an editorial perspective, I hate seeing the two ads for the same TV show on the page. I see this and in my head, I scream, "I get it! You're advertisng you Jinx. Stop bombarding me. However, I realize that ads are the way my profession survives currently, so I'm happy to see Variety's success.Next, let's explore Rolling Stone. With each of these designs, I get more excited about the endless possibilities of methods to display news on the web.

This is a layout for Paul Solotaroff's story about animal cruelty. The the design is as shocking as what the story reveals, and I love it. The design clearly dictates the message of the story.

Few story layouts go to extremes to adapt the layout to the message of the story, but this one definitely merits it. The deck, or short description of what the story is about, is incorporated into the design of the story, which is brilliant. It encourages readers to read on.

As Janice Redish says in her book, "Letting Go of the Words," it deck, or content of the story, is so well written that all aspects considered, the story may not have needed this distinct layout. However, this gives a reader a bite of the story. The text together with the design is so powerful that readers don't have a choice but to scroll down and read on. I wish the budget and time existed to design every news story like this. While I have seen this story-specific layout exist in the New York Times stories on a regular basis, I think Rolling Stone decided to invest time in it not only for easy reading on a tablet but also for the shock factor in a computer screen.

Reading on in the story, there's certain stopping points readers encounter that make getting through this investigative piece easier. A video powerful pull quote in the form of a blood splatter stops the reader and makes them think about what they have read. A video gives the reader a break. Stats in the same blood stain design divert the reader's attention to make them think about other aspects connected to the story. Readers have multiple exit points in the story, but as a reader, I didn't want to leave because the way it was told was so compelling. The content wins on this design!Another Weebly People's Choice award winner is The Guardian's NSA Files series. Again, this isn't an individual website, but a series about Edward Snowden's leaks of the National Security Administration's files. The reporting is thorough, and I've only had the change to read through a few stories. The page is fabulously drawn out. Headlines that lead to a link to another story immediately catch my interest. It makes me want more information.

Above is the homepage to the NSA Files package. I love that The Guardian made a logo for the series. It shows that this set of reports sets it apart from other coverage. Scrolling down the page, readers see the exclusive stories The Guardian covered relating to the file leaks. The each story is designed in a block to give it its own importance. Each story also has a photo that describes further what the story is about. Farther down the page is commentary of the scandal and documents that show how the story was reported—the "paper trail" as journalists say. Below that are the most popular stories in the series and the latest updates concerning Snowden and the government's actions dealing with the case.

Basically, it's everything you want to know about the case in one web page. It has headlines on the page that are compelling, newsy and give readers enough of an idea about the story to decide if they want to click on it and read more. I think the block format the Guardian used is smart and seems to be the news style most every news website uses. However, this site was very slow to load in my browser. It may be because I had multiple tabs open with the sites I am discussing in this post, but with so much custom-designed information and coding, I would think the site takes longer to load. With this information, I wonder if it has been a detractor for readers who can decide to either wait until it loads because they are that curious about the story if they leave frustrated. What price do websites pay to have it well-designed?

Finally, the best design—in my opinion—for last. Wired is a technology magazine. As you can see from the content bar, the publication covers many fields in which technology is utilized and improving. Not only is the print magazine smartly designed, the website is simple, yet equally as engaging. Like Variety, it has a clear label and brand. I like that stories are above the content bar in order to give readers a taste of what content the website offer. Reader's know it is the weekend edition by the small bar after the website's title. It seems like Wired is trying to mimic a daily paper by offering a weekend edition, which isn't all bad. As I analyze these news sites, it seems like the ones that work are the ones that imitate print design principles. One being the more visuals a page has, the more engaging it is.

I also like the small design choices made on the page. For example, in the content bar, "video," "insider" and "subscribe" are highlighted in blue, which brings attention to them while still keeping the style of the site. Again, content dictates the site design as the most breaking headlines—well written might I add—are at the top. The stories below the strategically placed content bar are equally as entertaining content but definitely dictate the easy reading attitude many people want and have on the weekends.

All designs considered, I think there were three distinct things I saw in each: designs mimicked the blocks of newspaper, visuals were apparent with every story, and lastly, quality content dictated what was featured on the site.

Each social media outlet has a specific way it is designed with little differentian between accounts. However, I have found that despite the uniformity of these sites, successful design of a websites includes design of its social media brands as well.

For example, Huffington Post's Twitter page I would say is well designed. Yes, it looks like every other Twitter pages, but the way they craft their posts is what sets them apart.

I know I sound like a broken records, but one thing I love that Huffington Post does is that it tweets images with its stories. According to a study done by tweet scheduling website Buffer, tweets with images receive 18 percent more clicks than their image-less counterparts. They also got 89 percent more favorites and 150 percent more retweets. However, the study did not specify which images got the most clicks.

Another design element the Huffington Post does well is that it's brand is clearly communicated. The big "H" icon which users know stands for Huffington Post carries as a nice, uniform icon throughout the site.

I think one of the most interesting aspects of social media design is the biography section. Huffington Post decided to make its description fun, offering a humorous description for all of its possible users. It also has the link to its website, which is key.

Viewers can see that the Huffington Post keeps its social media sites uniform and consistent posting the same message about the audience it attracts but chnaging its strategy in what it posts to each different account.

It's Facebook as the same visual appeal, same logo and same slogan keeping the brand consistent.

It's YouTube channel has the same feel with the signature "H" logo. However, in each social media platform, the background or static image that greets readers at the top of the site changes. On YouTube, it is a photo of the New York City skyline. I would assume different backgrounds are one way Huffungton Post attracts the different audiences it does with each platform.

While Huffington Post also has a LinkedIn and other social media accounts, the last account I wanted to show was its Instagram account. Interestingly enough, its Instagram doesn't have the same color scheme in its logo as its other accounts. The "H" is white and the background is green, which disrupts the usual color scheme users are accostomed to seeing. However, this could be because Instagram's image format did not allow for the logo to be sized properly. A different element of HuffPost's Instagram account is that it gives the disclaimer that images with the #huffpostgram hashtag could be used on its website. This is what sets HuffPost's blog posts apart from posts news organizations create. I do not like how the recently posted photos make up its static background, but the image sizes make for a visually appealing collage.

As a hard news girl, I don't endorse getting my news from Buzzfeed. Fun lists like "16 Things Katy Perry looked like during her half time performance," I would totally share on my private social media outlets, but I would not trust the site as my go-to for credible and accurate news. For design ideas, though, I was forced to take note.

For my first project for Writing and Rhetoric in the Digital Age, I decided to analyze the user experience Buzzfeed offers. Much of it is dictated in the site's design.

Above, you can see today's Buzzfeed homepage. Just "above the fold" alone, there are 16 visual elements. This does not include the "lol," "win" and "omg" tags used to rate stories at the top of the page. There is a solid hierarchy established which sets apart the stories in importance. All of the images serve as great links to story pages. The homepage is not overwhelming, but it still gives the reader multiple points to access different content from all parts of the site.

I think all of Buzzfeed's important aspects to the site are above the fold, making it convenient for the user. First, its logo is at the top clearly identifying the site but not taking away from its content. Its slogan, "News, Buzz, Life," accurately sums up what viewers will find on the site. The content bar has clearly identified links to pathway pages, which lead to stories. A Facebook icon is also located in the content bar as well as the search bar and a link to get Buzzfeed's app, although I think that link could be more prevalent on the page.

One aspect of Buzzfeed's homepage design I love is the scroll bar of thumbnail images. Its easy to navigate and tell what stories are about. I can see the image, most of the headline and know if this is something I would like to click on. The scroll bar gets more content in front of people so they are not bored with the front page of the site. Like the scroll bar of stories at the top, the trending bar offers the same peek into stories.

Overall, I like the layout of Buzzfeed's site. The design makes the information digestible. The site exemplifies the design phrase " form follows function." Its consistent layout allows for users to see instead of links. I think more sites should do this as it will help attract visitors who will not be overwhelmed by the amount of information a homepage has.

I remember from my design class I took last year at KSU that my teacher said Swiss design was the pinnacle of design. It's simple, easy to use and functional. She specifically used the phrase, "form follows function," to describe it. Many times, Americans discount ideas, including designs, from foreign countries because they present a different way of thinking apart from the American mindset of how we usually think about design. Looking outside of one's country for design ideas can yield a great reward for those looking to think outside the box.

El País is a Spanish global newspaper as you can see with the different options at the top for news in Spain, America, Brazil and Catalonia. When I studied abroad in Spain, El País was my go to news source. However, I had to be careful with how to take its reporting because it is known as the liberal newspaper in Spain. The design of the site is visually pleasing. There are two feature stories, one of them being a video. The text is easy to read and the contents bar isn't overcrowded. I do not like the ad at the top of the page, but I guess it's inevitable because that's what pays for the site. I also like how they integrated the thin panel at the right and fit three things in it—an opinion piece, the weather and "temas del día" or subjects of the day, that each have a place there. It also has a nice logo that transfers, like most sites, from page to page.

2. BBC.com

For international news, I also like to go to the British Broadcasting Company. Their layout usually consists of thumbnail videos and when clicked, a linked article appears. The layout of this BBC page I believe isn't all that appealing because a few paragraphs of the story appear on the home page. I can scan through it easily, but I'm not a big fan. I do like the two content bars at the top because they break up all the content the BBC offers. It has a recognizable logo and the homepage has many options for access to different articles or pathway pages.

Al Jazeera.net is one of the newspaper's popular in the Arab world with a very successful English affiliate. Most of the site is rag-right because you read arabic right to left. Overall, I feel this site looks a bit unprofessional for a major news site; however, it is not in my language so I do have some bias when critiquing it. I like that blue headline bar across the page with the photos because it stands out. I also like the social media icons on the right because it shows all the places online Al-Jazeera can be accessed; however, I do think they could be integrated into the site better. I don't like the advertisements on the right, but American sites had them on the left, so reading the site this way could be normal for an Arabic-speaking audience.

Still on the topic of homepage design, I would like to share some examples of pages of local news sites that I think have a great homepage design. Local news sites in bigger cities tend to have the money to support better web designs and a better CMS because they reach a larger population, and therefore, probably get more money because they have more sources of ad revenue and more subscribers.

First, let's start in Ohio. I know before I said most of the local sites aren't sexy, but I think the Columbus Dispatch, the daily newspaper of Ohio's capital does it right.

The Dispatch, where I worked as an intern over the summer, has a very clean layout. It has lots of white space and there's plenty of information "above the fold" for visitors to scan. Interestingly enough, the Dispatch's "latest headlines" bar is on the left side instead of on the right how most newspapers do it. Their content is relevant with a story about the State of the Union as the featured story. One aspect that I find visually pleasing on the site is that it's not afraid to use color. I like the colorful tabs at the top as well as the colorful carrots to indicate difference stories in the latest updates tab. I also like that the "hot links" are at the top to give the visitor more of a chance to visit different pages on the site.

The New York Times is known for its texty pages, but I believe its home page is anything but that. I swear every website I looked at to wrote this post had the same picture of Obama. Again, the white space on this site is nice. I can easily navigate it. I especially like the NYT's content bar at the top of the page. It's easy to read for a paper its size and includes many quick options for the reader to click on and scan over easily.

The Washington Post used a different way to report on the State of the Union address by putting a video on its homepage, which I like. I also like that the "In the News" bar is prominent and includes phrases of no more than three words. However, I do not like the content bar at the way top of the page. I feel like it gets lost. If I want to go to the Entertainment section, I would have to think about where to go for it instead of see and it automatically quickly click on it. I believe in this case, the Post owned their cover story since they are the principle voice in news in Washington D.C.

Are national news sites the peak of design in web news design? Not quite.

Although national news sites have more money and can therefore afford a better CMS and better layout software, the designs of their home pages aren't the best. However, they have more aspects that I like, which i will review.

I started with the one I like the best. CNN usually has great photos to back up its (mostly) solid reporting, which makes the site even more reader friendly. I like the size of the feature story and that the viewer can change what the feature story is by sliding though the thumbnails below the feature image. I like that stories are simply labeled and that despite lots of information being on the homepage, there is still white space and a simplicity to it. I also like the "Latest" sidebar next to the feature image. The headlines are short and to the point, and there is enough stories showing to digest their headlines all at once and decide which ones you, as the reader, want to click on. I hate when so many story headlines show up in a news sites' latest updates bar on its home page because usually the headlines are too long and there are too many. I also like that at the top, there are many options to leave the homepage and take you to a specific area of the site. Most news sites have pages that are clearly marked with these types of headings.

2. USAToday.com

With USAToday.com, I again like the large feature story. I also like that visitors can use the arrows on the sites of the site to scroll to different pages. The visuals, again, are what sells this site. I like that USA Today also has the blue sidebar on the left with quick links to take visitors to certain parts of the site that are popular. I think it's smart that they have a what's trending, called"Right Now," sidebar on the right that gives readers a sense of what people are talking about. I don't like the site's color scheme. I knew USA today is known for its logo that reflects it's color scheme, but black and blue remind me of a bruise.

This is quite aesthetically pleasing. There are three feature images and and six large headline that balance out the page. There is white space as well. I think one thing I specifically like about NBC News' site is that they have an "ONGOING" bar in with the site's name is to show that the site is still following trending stories. I also like that stories with videos have a certain flag next to the headline and that each story is categorized in an organizational fashion.

I've noticed that national news sites tend to use more photos, have stronger and catchier headlines or story teases, have image heavy feature stories and a have pages that are easy to navigate to get to specific parts of the site. While the local examples I looked at in my previous post had social media buttons on the top of the site, national sites did not, which seemed peculiar to me. Each national news site had a section for videos, which helps support the claim that visuals sell news websites (just like print!).

Another thing I did notice was that broadcast news sites like CNN and NBC had more pleasing layouts than print news sites. Do web designers for a print publication need to be more broadcast centered? Do they need to look to broadcast news sites to design a site that readers will want to search though. I don't believe that is the case, as some further examples I have in mind will show.

Why I think looks matter

On the web, looks matter.

The way a post looks or even a thumbnail image used to represent the post can grow or shrink your audience. The layout websites use can be a deterring or welcoming factor. If a page is cluttered and unorganized, chances are viewers won't spend much time on the site as a whole. If a page has absolutely no photos, the site's appeal wanes. This goes for all websites, especially those in charge of making news stories appealing.

Let's take screenshots of the home pages of three local newspaper's online affiliates: The Plain Dealer, Akron Beacon Journal and The Ravenna Record Courier.

The viewer sees fives photos, minimal text and lots of white space when first stumbling onto this website. To me, it's not a bad layout. However, it doesn't have a strong hierarchy to distinguish which stories are featured. The picture of the chicken wings is only slightly bigger than the larger thumbnail images. However, I do like that they have relevant stories at the top with photos that people will recognize. I also know that white space is a good tool, but I think there is too much of it here. I would have maybe liked to see a Twitter feed or some type of social media link when seeing the homepage so that I know what type of following the site has

Holy text! The Akron Beacon Journal's site suffers from the opposite problems as The Plain Dealer's: text overload. When I approach a site, I do not want to read the whole story. I think the most effective layouts are image heavy with teaser text. That's literally all Buzzfeed is. From an editorial standpoint, I think the headline is way too long. I feel as though the home page is also for sneak peaks. This gives you the full story. Also, it is Martin Luther King, Jr. day, and no where does it mention that. I'm glad both the PD and Beacon change the layout of their sites daily because this wouldn't work for your daily news cycle.

This site is very advertisement heavy, which I don't like. It screams to me that they need all the ad money they can get to stay afloat. This might be the case, but why would they advertise that? Although the Record-Courier's site is mostly hyperlocal, I don't mind it. Where there aren't ads, there is a nice amount of white space. The feature image could be bigger, but at least these a sense of hierarchy. The small thumbnail images could also be bigger, but at least they are there. The editor's picks isn't too cluttered.

I know my critique may have been harsh on these sites, but it is only because I am used to coming to their individual story pages for information and usually the homepage of bigger, national news outlets when I want to get a feel for what's happening nationally and internationally. Are you the same way? Let me know. In the next post, I'll look at national news sites home pages and compare them to Northeast Ohio's online news sources.